Senior Retirement Administration Specialist

Nashville Public Radio; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Pension & 401(k)

Paid time off

Parental leave

Employee assistance

Job summary

The Washington Post in Washington, DC is seeking a Senior Retirement Administration Specialist to oversee 401(k) and pension programs, acting as the subject matter expert and internal auditor for retirement operations. You will lead audits, ensure regulatory compliance, partner with HRIS, Payroll, and third-party administrators, and drive improvements in controls and data quality.

This on-site role reports to the Senior Director, Total Rewards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, economics, finance or related field.
• 7 years of retirement, benefits, or related experience.
• Strong knowledge of US retirement plan regulations (ERISA, IRS, DOL).
• Ability to translate complex plan provisions for employees, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Experience reconciling data across multiple systems and identifying root causes.
• Excel and data manipulation skills; Workday preferred.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local requirements and governing plans.
• Process monthly pension payments and validate data with third-party admins.
• Prepare for retirement committee meetings and conduct internal audits.
• Lead retirement plan audits and coordinate with third-party admins and internal teams.
• Execute operational audits, investigate discrepancies, and coordinate corrective actions.
• Recommend enhancements to audit procedures and implement new controls or automation.
• Coordinate plan design changes with HRIS, Payroll, and Vendors.
• Deliver customer service and resolve benefits-related issues for employees.
• Educate employees about retirement programs and update intranet resources.
• Prepare utilization reports and analyze trends to support decision making.
• Assist with payments to benefit providers and resolve billing issues.

Skills

Data reconciliation

Excel

Workday experience

Communication

Data analysis

Vendor management

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, business, economics, finance or related field

Tools

CEBS

QKA

Job description

Join the future of news

We’re on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you’ll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most.

About Our Team

The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning Newsroom and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales.

Why This Role Matters

The Senior Retirement Administration Specialist ensures the integrity, compliance, and operational excellence of The Post’s retirement programs, including our 401(k) and pension plans. More than a traditional retirement administrator, this role serves as the company's subject matter expert on retirement programs with the mindset of an internal auditor—someone who is naturally curious, trusts data but verifies it, solves operational puzzles, and strengthens processes, so employees can have confidence that their retirement benefits are administered accurately every time.

The role is responsible for executing operational controls, resolving complex retirement issues, supporting retirement committee governance, and driving continuous improvement across retirement administration by partnering closely with internal teams, third-party administrators, and employees.

This position is based in our Washington, DC office and reports to the Senior Director, Total Rewards.

What Motivates You

• You are an experienced retirement professional who enjoys being the trusted expert others rely on to solve complex retirement questions, interpret plan provisions, and ensure benefits are administered accurately.
• You are naturally curious. When something doesn't look right, your first instinct is to investigate, ask questions, and understand the root cause rather than simply correcting the issue.
• You enjoy working with data. Reconciling information across multiple systems, validating results, and tracing discrepancies to their root cause is one of the most satisfying parts of your work.
• You take ownership. You don't stop after identifying an issue—you work across functions to understand the root cause, resolve it, strengthen controls, and reduce the likelihood it will happen again.
• You balance urgency with accuracy. You manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain exceptional attention to detail, even during busy periods.
• You communicate with confidence and empathy. Whether you're explaining retirement options to an employee or discussing a complex issue with Payroll, HRIS, or a vendor, you make technical concepts easy to understand.
• You look for practical improvements. You enjoy finding opportunities to simplify recurring work, improve controls, and make processes more efficient over time.

How You'll Support the Mission

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local legal requirements, as well as collectively bargained agreements, by monitoring regulatory changes, obtaining legal opinions, preparing and submitting government filings, coordinating plan amendments, and distributing legally required notices.
• Process monthly pension payments by verifying pension calculations and data entry by third party administrators.
• Assist with preparing for retirement committee meetings by drafting agenda and meeting notes, conducting internal audits, and executing action items from previous meetings.
• Lead retirement plan audits by coordinating with third party administrators and internal teams, providing data, and answering auditors’ questions.
• Execute recurring operational audits of retirement plan administration using established audit tools, investigate discrepancies, determine root causes, and coordinate corrective actions with Payroll, HRIS, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Recommend enhancements to audit procedures and partner with internal teams to implement new controls or automation.
• Execute plan design changes by coordinating with the HRIS, Payroll and Integrations teams, vendors, and third-party administrators, testing system changes, and communicating changes to the employees.
• Deliver excellent customer service and resolve employee benefits-related issues by answering employee questions, coordinating with third party administrators, and addressing data issues.
• Educate employees about retirement programs by executing financial wellness initiatives, creating communication materials, and updating the retirement section on the company intranet.
• Support management decision making by preparing benefits utilization reports, analyzing trends, recommending plan design enhancements, process changes, and wellness initiatives.
• Assist with payments to benefit providers by reconciling employee and vendor reports, submitting invoices, and resolving billing issues.

The Skills and Experience You Bring

• Bachelor’s’ degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Economics, Finance or related field
• 7 years’ experience in retirement, insurance benefits, financial planning, or actuarial services required
• Professional certifications such as Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA), or similar certifications are a plus
• Strong knowledge of U.S. retirement plan regulations, including ERISA, IRS guidelines, and DOL requirements
• In-depth understanding of pension plan administration, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Ability to interpret complex plan documents and translate technical retirement provisions into clear, accurate guidance for employees, vendors, and internal stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to reconcile data across multiple systems, investigate discrepancies, identify root causes, and exercise sound judgment in resolving complex operational issues
• Exceptional attention to detail and a disciplined approach to validating data, interpreting plan documents, and verifying assumptions before making decisions
• Strong Excel and data manipulation skills; experience with Workday preferred
• Ability to handle sensitive information and maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex retirement plan information to employees and senior management
• Demonstrated ability to explain complex retirement concepts clearly, accurately, and empathetically to employees with varying levels of financial and retirement knowledge
• Demonstrated ability to recommend practical process improvements that strengthen operational controls, improve data quality, or reduce manual effort while collaborating with internal teams and third-party administrators
• Proven track record of managing vendors and third-party administrators to enhance delivery of benefits and resolve employee issues

Collaboration makes us stronger. That’s why our offices are designed with open layouts, modern technology, and easy access to transportation. With certain exceptions for newsgathering and business travel, we work on-site five days a week.

Compensation And Benefits

Wherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey:

• Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage
• Company-paid pension and 401(k) match
• Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave
• Nine paid holidays and two personal days
• 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent
• Robust mental health resources
• Backup care and caregiver concierge services
• Gender affirming services
• Pet insurance
• Free Post digital subscription
• Leadership and career development programs

Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status.

The salary range for this position is:

$85,100 - $127,700 Annual

The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements.

This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of the Talent Acquisition team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.